Diagnostic approaches to Kawasaki disease worldwide: the results from the JIR-CliPS network

First author :Jurgita Marčiulynaitė

Journal : Rheumatology, Volume 65, Issue 7

Publication date : July 2026

Article link : https://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/keag340

How do physicians around the world diagnose Kawasaki disease?

Although the core principles of Kawasaki disease (KD) diagnosis are broadly shared, real-life clinical practice varies considerably between countries.

A new study from the JIR-CliPS network, published in Rheumatology, surveyed 192 physicians from 51 countries to explore how they diagnose complete and incomplete KD and identify children at high risk of coronary artery lesions (CALs).

The findings highlight several important differences. While all physicians accepted ≥5 days of fever with four clinical criteria for complete KD, 32% would make the diagnosis earlier, particularly in France. For incomplete KD, 94% considered fever with three clinical criteria sufficient, while 44% would also consider coronary artery lesions sufficient for diagnosis in a febrile child, even without other clinical criteria.

When assessing the risk of coronary involvement, age <1 year and a coronary Z-score >2 were the factors most frequently considered important, alongside inflammatory and cardiac features.

These findings highlight the complexity of diagnosing KD in everyday practice—and the need for further real-life studies to support timely, consistent and accurate diagnosis worldwide.

Want to know more?👉 Read the full article “Diagnostic approaches to Kawasaki disease worldwide: the results from the JIR-CliPS network” in Rheumatology.

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Based upon work from COST Action CA21168, Project CliPS - Working Group 2"Immunoglobulin A vasculitis and Kawasaki disease management in children". Supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). www.cost.eu